I still have my ll bean boots from my time at Amherst and wore them today to walk the dog. I agree that the clothes are crucial. I was colder living in NYC after graduation because people wore cute shoes and jackets instead of layering on like a Maine lumberjack. I also think there’s a bit different between New England cold and mid western plains cold or lake effect cold. I’m not sure I could handle the latter.

Also at Amherst we got most of January off. Smart decision on their part! Definitely made the winter feel a little shorter.

I’ve pulled out my Ithaca winter gear. I took a walk around the neighborhood and it was lovely. Cold and crisp. My family lives in Maine. I buy the kids winter gear when I’m home. I think that there is a difference in what is sold as winter gear in the DMV and what is sold as winter gear in Maine.

When you dress appropriately, the cold is not an issue.

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully no student will be so shallow as to choose a school based solely on weather.

Nobody ever mentions the weather can make or break your day.

When I was in college at UNC, I went up to visit my boyfriend at Dartmouth for winter carnival. It was horrible! I was so cold and miserable. To each his own but I couldn’t wait to get back to Chapel Hill!! So glad not to go to school up north but I know some people hate the heat. Luckily there is a place for everyone.

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully no student will be so shallow as to choose a school based solely on weather.

LOL

Anonymous wrote:I am Southern and I LOVE the cold, crisp air! It’s refreshing!

+1
I went to college in VA but *loved* the wintertime when it would snow and we'd all go sledding on cafeteria trays. Those were the days!

Hopefully no student will be so shallow as to choose a school based solely on weather.

Anonymous wrote:I went to college in upstate NY. It wasn't the cold or the snow that was so rough. It was the length of the winter and the lack of sun. That was not for me.

This - the number of days with extreme cold is very limited. So many schools in cold climates have inside walkways between buildings to reduce exposure. The harder part is the length of time that its "winter" - had snow late April - Spring break in March was some of the heaviest snow all year round. But my DC love winter, cold weather over heat and humidity. As they often say 'just wear the right clothes"

I went to college in upstate NY. It wasn't the cold or the snow that was so rough. It was the length of the winter and the lack of sun. That was not for me.

Kids are 10 degrees warmer than adults. Once they get to college they are 20 degrees warmer than us. Once it hits high 50's in the spring, the shorts and t-shirts come out.

Anonymous wrote:I bet the the troll who started this thread didn’t expect so many pro-winter responses.

+1. I have the Oberlin I’d home ahead of the blizzard. My initial concern with north wasn’t snow or cold. It’s the dark. I have seasonal affective disorder and moving 250 miles north to the DMV did a number on me the first couple of years. It would be hard for me to live north of the DMV. But that’s me. DS is fine. DD had some depression issues during fall of 2021/ distance learning pushed back against northern schools. I think she did the right thing.

My kid is a junior and all of her list is mid-west, upstate NY, NE. She needs a new coat and we want it to last through college. What should we get??

I am Southern and I LOVE the cold, crisp air! It’s refreshing!

I bet the the troll who started this thread didn’t expect so many pro-winter responses.

Anonymous wrote:My kid's only real requirement for college was cold weather. He's a first year at one of the Maine schools and his only complaint is that it hasn't been cold enough yet. He just left for the gym wearing shorts and a Tshirt and it's 12 degrees outside...

My son who is a junior in high school is very similar. He is considering North Dakota state, purely because of the weather!